Washington 2018 reds: top-scoring wines from Red Mountain

The Red Mountain AVA leans towards Bordeaux in style, so this is the place to come for rich, hedonistic reds says Dr Owen Bargreen. He takes a detailed look at the region and selects his best Red Mountain 2018 red wines.

By Dr Owen Bargreen

published 6 August 2021

in Tastings

If you enjoy wines that show more of a hedonistic edge, then Bordeaux-style Red Mountain reds are for you.

Scroll down for the top-scoring Red Mountain 2018 red wines

With the highest number of growing degree days of any Washington AVA, Red Mountain delivers the state’s most dense and brooding wines, the Bordeaux blends showing classic flavour profiles of scorched earth and tar.

Established in 2001, and located on the eastern edge of the Yakima Valley, there are 964 hectares currently planted to largely Bordeaux varietals in the 1,836 hectare area.

Washington 2018 red wines: full report and top-scoring wines

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Individual analysis by AVA:

Columbia Valley | Horse Heaven Hills | Walla Walla Valley | Yakima Valley

Plus: Top-value Washington 2018 reds – the best to buy

Being an arid region the nearby Yakima River helps to slightly moderate temperatures here as vines are set on sandy loam soils and gravel with high alkalinity (high pH) and a rich calcium carbonate content.

Daytime temperatures, particularly in the summer, can be very warm as Red Mountain has a desert climate with an average yearly rainfall of 12cm per year.

During the growing season daytime temperatures average 32°C with night time temperatures dropping below 10°C. This great diurnal shift leads to wines that embody good depth and concentration but also bright acidity particularly in the Bordeaux-style wines.

Red grapes here seem to fare considerably better than white grapes and, since the cost of land is not inexpensive, most vintners tend to plant either Bordeaux varieties or at times Syrah — which command higher prices than whites.

Across the board in 2018 Bordeaux varieties thrived here. While not quite as popularly planted as Cabernet Sauvignon, do not sleep on the best Syrah from this region.

The best 2018 editions from Col Solare and Force Majeure evoke a massive core of black and blue fruits alongside good tension and scorched earthy tones, facing up with the best Syrah that California has to offer.

Top Red Mountain producers:

Col Solare
Cadence
Corliss Estate
Quilceda Creek
Force Majeure

Washington 2018 reds: top-scoring wines from Red Mountain

Scroll down for the top-scoring Red Mountain 2018 red wines